Control switch



March 11, 1958 G. w. JACKSON 2,826,658

' CONTROL SWITCH Filed April 8, 1955- I 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Jj GEORGE WJ/ICKSON BY g f d ymtw ATTORNEY March 11, 1958 cs. w. JACKSON 2,826,658

CONTROL SWITCH Filed April 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 THERMAL ovep Lo/w INVENTOR.

G502 65 W JACKSON 64 mmmrfrw ATTOENEY United States Patent 2,826,658 Patented Mar. 11, 1958 fiice This invention relates to a control switch particularly adapted for use in controlling a garage door operating echanism to effect opening and closing of the garage door and stopping of the garage door operating mechanism at each end of the stroke or" operation of the mechanism to open and close the door.

An object of the invention is to provide a control switch to effect reversal of rotation of an electric motor in which the switch is provided with a line control switch in series circuit with the reversing switch to control the starting and stopping of the electric motor in response to positioning of the garage door at opposite ends of its open and closed positions, the line control switch being operationally related to the reversing switch in such a manner that once the line switch has started the garage door operating mechanism to open or close the door the reversing switch can be actuated independently to reverse the direction of movement of the garage door without in any way affecting the position of the line switch until such time as the garage door arrives at either its open or closed position, at which time the line control switch will be actuated in response to the position of the garage door arriving at its open or closed position to stop the garage door operating mechanism, and at the same time reset the switch mechanism for the electric motor to effect a reverse direction of rotation of the motor upon a subsequent actuation of the control switch for an opening or a closing operation of the garage door.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a portion of a garage door operating mechanism illustrated in operative association with the control switch of this invention.

Figure 2 is an end view of the control switch as taken from the left hand end of the switch as viewed in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a schematic electric circuit incorporating the switch of this invention.

In this invention the control switch is adapted to regulate alternate reversal of rotation of an electric motor to efiect opening and closing of a garage door. The garage door operating mechanism comprises an electric motor for driving a pulley over which there extends an endless cable that is connected with a garage door to effect opening and closing of the door depending upon the direction of rotation of the electric motor. To open and close a garage door by means of an electric motor, it is desirable that the electric motor be of the reversible type and to control the electric motor by means of a reversing switch adapted to reverse the flow of current through the electric motor alternately each time the control switch is operated. It is also essential that there be provided a main line control switch in series circuit with the reversing switch to control the starting and stopping of the electric motor when the garage door reaches the end of its movement upon either opening or closin The line control switch is adapted to be actuated in response to the position of the garage door upon either opening or closing, and in this invention is operationally connected with the reversing switch in such a manner that actuation of the reversing switch to eifect a reversing circuit connection of the electric motor will also efiect actuation of the main line control switch to provide for closing of electric circuit through the reversing switch and thereby permit operation of the electric motor in the direction of rotation established by the position of the reversing switch. The control switch is also contructed and arranged in a manner that when the main line control switch has been actuated by the reversing switch in iuitiating operation of the electric motor, the reversing switch may thereafter be actuated any number of times without causing any actuation of the main line control switch so that the garage door may be reversed at any time it is intermediate the extreme end positions. However, once the garage door reaches its extreme open or closed position, the main line control switch will then be operated by the garage door arriving at its extreme end position to break circuit'through the main line control switch.

The control switch of this invention comprises a first switch mechanism 10 for controlling the reversing of the current flow to the electric motor to efiect opening and closing of the garage door and a second switch mechanism to control the main line circuit to the reversing switch mechanism 1%, the switch mechanism 10 being in series with the switch mechanism 15.

The switch mechanism It: comprises a solenoid relay coil R that has associated therewith an armature 11 attracted by the core 12 of the solenoid R when energized. The armature 11 is pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 13 carried on a bracket 14 that supports the relay coil R, the bracket 14 also being supported on a U-shaped base 16.

The armature 11 is adapted to actuate the reversing mechanism 17 by which the contact member 18 is alternately disposed between the contacts 19 and 20 each time the relay coil R is energized to thereby reverse the flow of electric current through an electric motor and cause it alternately to rotate in opposite directions.

The mechanism composing the switch mechanism 10 is a relatively standard reversing switch adapted for the purpose of reversing electric circuit to an electric motor.

The line control switch mechanism 15 comprises a contact 21 that is carried upon a rigid arm 22 supported between the electrical insulating blocks 23 and 24 carried on the A second contact 25 is carried upon a resilient contact arm 26 that is supported between the electrical insulating blocks 24 and 24-11 also carried on the base 16. The resilient contact arm 26 is adapted to move the contact 25 into and out of engagement with the contact 21. Response to snap acting movements is effected upon the resilient arm 26 by means of the U-shaped leaf spring 27 carried between the end 28 of the arm 26 and an actuating member 29. As the actuating member 29 moves upwardly and downwardly hereinafter described, the points of engagement of the spring 27 with the actuating member and with the arm 26 effects a toggle action on the resilient arm 26 to move the contact 25 toward and away from the contact 21 in a manner well known in the art.

The actuating member 29 is operated by means of an actuator 39 that comprises a first portion 31 and a second portion 32. The first portion 31 of the actuator is reciprocably slidacle in the guide sleeve 33 carried in the Wall 34 of the base 16. The actuator portion 32 is carried upon the actuator portion 31 by means of a pivot pin 35 that provides for oscillation of the actuator portion 32 relative to the axis of the actuator portion 31. Also, the actuator portions 31 and 32 are in substantial alignment so that reciprocation of the actuator portion 31 is transmitted to the actuator portion 32.

The actuator portion 32 is disposed normally in generally axial alignment with the actuator portion 31 by means of a leaf spring member 36 that engages the ledge 37 provided in the actuator portion 32. The ledge 37 is generally angularly shaped in the plane of the leaf spring 36 whereby the normal positioning of the actuator portion 32is coaxial of the axis of the actuator portion 31. The leaf spring 36 is carried between the insulating blocks 24a and 24b which are also supported on the base 16.

The actuator portion 32 has a finger 41) that extends through an opening 41 in the actuator member 29 and is adapted to be engaged by the arm 52 projecting from the armature 11 of the solenoid relay coil R. The actuator portion 32 is also provided with a ledge 45 that is adapted to engage the actuating member 23 on the forward edge 46 of the slot 41to hold the actuating member 29 in the 1 position illustrated in Figure l.

The position of the switch mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1 is the normal position attained when the garage door operated by a garage door operating mechanism controlled by the switch mechanism heretofore described is in the extreme open or closed position.

The garage door operating mechanism comprises an electric motor from which there extends a drive shaft carrying the pinion 50. The housing 51 may be attached to the electric motor or be a part of the end frame of the electric motor.

The pinion 51! on the electric motor drive shaft engages the planet gears 52 that carry spur gears 53 integral therewith which in turn engage the ring gear 54. The planet gears 52 are supported upon a pulley 55 by means of the bearing shafts 56 whereby the planet gears rotate the pulley 55 when the planet gears are rotated by the pinion 50.

The pulley 55 is supported upon the housing wall 56 for rotation as driven by the pinion through the planet gears 52, the pulley having an axis of rotation common with the axis of rotation of the pinion 50.

The ring gear 54 is journaled upon an annular wall 57 of the housing 51 for rotation thereon, the ring gear 54 being supported on the wall 57 by the annular wall 58 thereof. The ring gear 54 thus has an axis of rotation common with the axis of rotation of the pinion St).

The brake band 69 is disposed around the annular wall 58 of the ring gear 54 in frictional engagement therewith to normally restrain rotation of the ring gear 54 about the axis of the pinion 50. Thus, normally, the ring gear 54 may be considered as a stationary element within which the planet gears 52 rotate about the pinion 50.

The brake band do has each of its opposite ends provided with the loops 61 and 62 that are engaged by the spring urged plunger members 63 and 64 respectively to retain the brake band in frictional engagement with the annular wall 58. The plungers 63 and 64 are urged toward one another by means of the compression springs 65 and 66 respectively.

The ring gear 54 is also provided with an annular surface 70 that is eccentric torthe axis of the ring gear 54 and therefore eccentric to the axis of the pinion 59. The eccentricity of the cam surface 70 elfects actuation of the actuator 31 of the switch mechanism 15 upon rotation of the cam surface 70 about the axis of the pinion 5% in a manner hereinafter described.

The pulley 55 has extended thereover an endless cable that connects with a garage door to open and close the same upon alternate reverse rotation of the pulley 55 as elfected by alternate reverse rotation of the electric motor that drives the pinion 59. The garage door whenv at the end of its stroke of movement upon opening or closing will stop the movement of the cable 75 as driven by the pulley 55 so that there is a reaction set up between the pulley 55 and the ring gear 54 to effect rotation of the ring gear 54 against the resistance of the friction brake band 61 to actuate the switch mechanism 15.

Figure 5 represents schematically an electric circuit for causing operation of an electric motor to effect opening and closing of a garage door. In the electric circuit there is provided a manually operated push button control 8t) that closes electric circuit through the secondary coil 81 of a transformer 85, the primary coil 82 thereof being connected to the power lines L1 and L2. Closing of electric circuit by the push button energizes the electric solenoid coil R which in turn through operation of the armaturell effects actuation of the reversing mechanism 17 of the switch mechanism 10 by which the contact carrying arm 18 is moved alternately between the contacts 19 and 21 The contacts 19 and 20 are in series circuit with the windings 86 and 87 of an electric motor, a capacitor 38 being provided to effect starting of the electric motor in the well known manner of a capacitor start motor. When the switch arm 18 is in the position shown in Fig. 5 the motor will operate in one direction of rotation, and when the arm 18 engages the contact 20 the motor will operate in a reverse direction of rotation. A thermal overload control 83 is provided in series with the electric motor to break circuit to the electric motor in the event of an overload condition, many overload controls being available commercially for this purpose.

In series circuit with the arm 18 of the switch mechanism 10 there is provided the contacts 21 and 25 of the switch mechanism 15 adapted to be opened and closed by the eccentric cam member 70 when it is rotated.

A second contact carrying arm 90 may be provided on the switch mechanism It to elfect closing of electric circuit to a lamp 91 when the garage door is moved to open position and to break circuit to the lamp 91 when the garage door is moved to a down position. The contact carrying arm 90 is interconnected with the contact carrying arm 18 to operate concurrently therewith and is on the opposite side of the switch mechanism 10, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

In operation, the mechanism is illustrated in Fig. l in a position attained at the end of the movement of a garage door upon either opening or closing thereof. That is, the cam surface 70 has effected upward movement of the actuator 30 to cause the ledge 45 thereof to raise the actuator member 29 of the switch mechanism 15 to eifect opening of the contacts 21 and 25 and thereby stop operation of the electric motor in response to the garage door arriving at its extreme end position upon either an opening or closing movement.

When the garage door is to be moved in an opposite direction, the push button switch 80 is closed thereby energizing the solenoid relay coil R of the switch mechanism 10. Energization of the relay coil R attracts the armature 11 toward the core 12 and thereby actuates the mechanism 17 to move the contact carrying arm 13 either upwardly or downwardly depending on its previous setting to set up the circuit to the motor windings 36 and 87 for a reverse direction of rotation from that effected just prior to the previous stopping of the electric motor.

When the armature 11 moves against the core 12 of the relay coil R the actuator portion 32 is oscillated in a clockwise direction about its pivot 35 to thereby release the actuator member 29 from the ledge 45 of the actuator portion 32, the opening 41 allowing the actuator member 23 to move downwardly over the ledge 45 when the actuator portion 32 is moved in the clockwise direction. 7

When the actuator member 29 moves downwardly the spring member 27 etfects a snap action of the contact carrying arm 26 to close the contact 25 upon the com tact 21 and thereby close electric chcuit to the electric motor to start the same.

After the actuating member 29 has been released from the ledge 45, the armature 11 may thereafter be moved toward the relay coil 12 by its energization to reverse the direction of rotation of the electric motor and thereafter reverse the direction of movement of the garage door without in any way effecting the now closed position of the contacts 21 and 25, the upper end 4*!) of the actuator portion 32 being free to oscillate on its pivot 35, sufiicient clearance being provided in the opening 4-1 for this purpose. The spring member 36 will return the actuator portion 32 to its aligned position with the actuator portion 31 as shown in 1 whenever the relay coil is deenergized by opening of the push button 80. Thus, the acutator portion 32 is always reset to its active position irrespective of the number of times the relay coil R might be deenergized after an initial actuation of the relay coil that has eifected closing of the contacts and 21 to start the electric motor in operation.

When the electric motor starts operation the pinion is rotated in one direction or the other thereby rotating the planet gears 52 about the pinion 5b to carry the pulley 55 with the planet gears and thereby drive the cable 75 in one direction or another. At this time the friction band holds the ring gear stationary so that 'the planet gears 52 will rotate within the ring gear 54.

With the switch mechanism in the position aforementioned effecting initial starting of the electric motor, the electric motor will not stop until the garage door reaches the end of its movement on an open or closed position, or meets an obstruction that prevents the door from reaching its full open or closed position. in either event, stopping of the garage door in its movement will cause the cable 75 to stop and thereby stop rotation of the pulley 55. When this occurs, as a result of the door reaching either of its extre- 1e positions, or as a result of a drive overload created by an obstruction pre venting the door from completing its movement, the pulley SS is now the stationary element and the pinion 59 being rotated by the electric motor will drive the planet gears 52 rotationally about their axes and thereby rotate the ring gear 54- against the resistance of the friction brake band 6%. When this occurs the cam surface 70 will rotate with the ring gear 5 -3 to allow the actuator 3t) to move downwardly until the actuator portion 31 engages the low side of the cam surface which is 180 opposite to the illustrated engagement of the cam surface 7b with the actuator portion as shown in Figure 1.

When the actuator 30 reaches the low point of its reciprocation the ledge 45 will be drawn downwardly through the opening 41 in the actuating member 29 to reset the ledge 4-5 in engagement with the forward edge 46 of the opening 41.

Continued rotation of the cam surface '70 will then cause an upward movement of the actuator portion 31 as the cam surface is now rotating to the high point position illustrated in Fig. 1 so that as the actuator 30 moves upwardly the actuator member 2% will be carried by the ledge 45 in an upward direction until the spring 27 efiects a snap opening movement of the contacts 21 and 25, as shown in Figure l, to again open circuit to the electric motor and stop the same. T e switch mechanism is now reset to provide for an actuation of the electric motor to drive the garage door in an opposite direction upon a subsequent energization of the relay coil R.

While there is shown in Fig. 5 a manually operated push button 80 to effect initial energization of th relay coil R, it is understood that any of the commercially available remote control actuating devices can be provided to effect closing of the switch tit} to initiate operation of the electric motor to open or close the garage door.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows.

1. A control switch assembly, comprising in combination, a first switch mechanism including an electric solenoid actuator and an armature movable relative to the solenoid upon energization of said solenoid, a second switch mechanism including an actuating member for the same, a reciprocable actuator including one end portion pivotally mounted to provide for oscillation of said end portion angularly of the axis of reciprocation of the actuator with the said one end engageable with said arma .u e and movable therewith and having a first position with said actuating member engaging a latch on said one end normally to hold said second switch in one switch position, said actuating member being movable with said end portion in axial movement of the said portion to effect actuation of said second switch mechanism to dispose it in said one switch position, said end portion effecting release of said actuating member of said second switch mechanism from said latch upon said angular movement thereof by said armature to permit disposition of said second switch mechanism in a second switch position and operably disconnect said actuating member from said end portion, said end portion being thereafter movable with said armature Without actuating effect on said second switch mechanism until axial reciprocation of said actuator is thereafter effected from said first position to a second position to reengage said latch with said actuating member and return to said first position whereby to shift said second switch from its second position to its first position.

2. A control switch assembly, comprising in combination, a first switch mechanism including an electric solenoid actuator and an armature movable relative to the solenoid upon energization of said solenoid, a second switch mechanism including an actuating member for the same, a reciprocable actuator including one end portion pivotally mounted to provide for oscillation of said one end portion angularly to the axis of reciprocation of the actuator with the said one end engageable with said armature and movable angularly therewith, said actuating member engaging latch means on said end portion and movable thereby with said portion during axial movement of the said portion to eifect actuation of said second switch mechanism and dispose it in one switch position and also being releasable from said latch means on said end portion upon angular movement thereby with said armature relative to the solenoid to effect thereby actuation of said second switch mechanism to dispose the said second switch mechanism in a second switch position.

3. A control switch assembly constructed in accordance with claim 1 in which the said one end portion is held resiliently normally in axial alignment with the remaining portion of the actuator by spring means in engage ment with the said one end portion.

4. A control switch mechanism constructed in accordance with claim 1 in which the first switch mechanism comprises a reversing switch for an electric motor to alternately reverse the direction of rotation of the motor upon each energization of the solenoid actuator and the second switch mechanism comprises a line switch in series circuit with the first switch mechanism to control starting and stopping of the electric motor with the said first position of this switch being an open circuit position and the second position a closed circuit position.

5. A control switch assembly, comprising in combination, a first switch mechanism including an electric solenoid actuator and an armature movable relative to the solenoid by energization of said solenoid, a second switch mechanism including an actuating member for the same,

said actuating member extending to a position closely adjacent said armature, a reciprocable actuator having a first portion reciprocable in guide means provided for the same and a'second portion disposed generally axially of the first portion for reciprocable movement therewith and pivotaliy mounted for oscillatory movement on the pivot means for the same relative to the axis of the first portion, latch means on said second portion of said actuator, said actuator being disposed relative to said switch mechanisms with the oscillatory end of said second pc=rtion engaging said armature for oscillatory movement concurrently therewith and With said actuating member engageable with said latch means for actuation of said second switch on reciprocable movement of the actuator and releasable from the latch means on osci latory movement of the said second portion.

6. A control switch assembly in accordance with claim 5 in which the said second portion of the actuator includes a finger portion extending into the path of movement of the armature to effect oscillatory movement of the said second portion upon movement of the armature relative to said solenoid, and in which the said second portion of the actuator also has a ledge forming the latch means engageable by the actuating member for the said second switch mechanism to provide for reciprocable movement of the actuating member for the said second switch mechanism upon reciprocation of the said actuator and which is releasable from the ledge by the said movement of the armature to effect operational disengagement of the said actuating member with the said ledge.

7. A control switch assembly constructed in accordance with claim 2 in which the said one end portion is held resiliently normally in axial alignment with the re maining portion of the actuator by spring means in engagement with the said one end portion.

8. A control switch mechanism constructed in accordance with claim 2 in which the first switch mechanism co; es a reversing switch for an electric motor to altoinmely reverse the direction of rotation of the motor upon each energization of the solenoid actuator and the second switch mechanism comprises a line switch in series circuit with the first switch mechanism to control startand stopping of the electric motor with the said first o vi i of this switch being an open circuit position and the second position a closed circuit position.

References :Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 732,477 Waterman June 30, 1903 1,863,922 Crane June 21, 1932 1,884,401 Vallen Oct. 25, 1932 2,091,108 Sengebusch Aug. 24, 1937 2,237,705 Kohl Apr. 8, 1941 2,377,286 White May 29, 1945 2,531,838 Bergemann Nov. 28, 1950 2,594,657 Koonz Apr. 29, 1952 

